Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Lesotho
Lesotho: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population was 24.3 % in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Lesotho, 2017–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Lesotho stood at 24.3 %. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
That places Lesotho 14th out of 112 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 27 % | — |
| 2018 | 26.8 % | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 26.4 % | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 25.8 % | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 25.3 % | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 24.7 % | -2.4% |
| 2023 | 24.3 % | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 26.73 % | 26.4 % | 27 % | 3 |
| 2020s | 25.02 % | 24.3 % | 25.8 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More agriculture & rural data for Lesotho
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 5.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0649 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 70.63 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.6715 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5533 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.5% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.5% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 5.1% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.0% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Lesotho?
- Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population in Lesotho was 24.3 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 27 % in 2017.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.3 % in 2023.
- How does Lesotho rank for prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population?
- Lesotho ranks 14th out of 112 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population (percent) (3-year average) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Suite of Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.